Roll holder



B. A. G'USTAFSON ETAL May 19, 1953 ROLL HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1949 28 to simplify loading of the machine. All that is necessary is to run the shaft 28 through a roll of paper which is to be trimmed and then place the projecting ends of the shaft in the slots 36.

Commercially available wallpaper varies in width from 18 to 30 inches. To adapt the paper holder l8 for supporting rolls of the various widths which may be encountered, the sliding support for the left-hand standard 34 (best seen in Figs. 1-3) is provided. As there indicated, this support includes an elongated, generally channel-shaped slide member 38 opposite the first slide 38. For the purpose of describing the operation of the paper holder, the slide 38 will be called the second slide. This second slide is freely slidable upon the fixed base 24. It is connected to the first slide 30 by a coil spring 40 somewhat less 1 in length than the width of the smallest roll which the machine is designed to handle. For a machine designed to handle standard rolls, the spring should be somewhat less than 18 inches. One end of the spring 40 is anchored to a crosspiece 33 (Figs. 2 and 3) adjacent the inner end of the second slide. This crosspiece may be secured in any suitable manner to lower edges of the depending front and back walls of the second slide. A similar crosspiece 4| is provided on the inner end of the first slide 30 to which the opposite end of the spring 40 is anchored.

Slidably carried upon the second slide 38 is a third generally channel-shaped slide member 42 to which the base of the left-hand standard 34 is secured as by bolting or welding. The second slide 38 has a plurality of apertures 44 in its forward depending wall (Figs. 1 and 3). A stop pin or detent 46 carried by the third slide 42 is adapted to be received in these apertures to lock the second and third slides against relative movement. This detent 46 is fixed adjacent one end of a leaf spring 48 suitably secured at its opposite end to the depending front wall of the third slide 42. Preferably the leaf spring has a hook 50 on its free end to facilitate manipulation of the same when it is desired to retract the detent 46 and thus permit adjustment of the third slide 42 relative to the second slide 38.

From the above description of the structure of the paper holder it will be noted that movement of the first slide 30 toward the second slide 38 normally is limited by the stop 32. However,

' the second slide 38 is free to move over a much greater distance and the third slide 42 is adjustable relative to the second. This construction permits the distance between the right and lefthand standards 26 and 34, respectively, to be varied as desired between approximately 18 and 30 inches. In loading the machine the third slide 42 is set relative to the second slide 38 so that the spacing of the roll shaft standards 34 and 26 when the spring 40 is relaxed will be slightly less than the width of the paper roll to be trimmed. Under these conditions, when the roll is placed in the paper holder, the spring 40 will be expanded, and the roll will be more or less firmly held between the standards 26 and 34, due to the endwise pressure on the rolls. As a result, the paper drawn off by the feed rollers 14 will be taut so that it may be cut readily and evenly by the trimming knives 20.

The improved paper holder herein described has an additional important advantage. Normally the excess paper on the untrimmed edge of a roll of paper is not uniform in width and, therefore, this edge must be manually guided tothe knives to insure even cutting .-of the edge. When 4 a conventionally wound roll is to be trimmed, the right-hand knives 20 are used and, with the improved paper holder above described, the paper can be guided to the knives by manipulating the first slide 30. Because of the spring connection between the first and second slides, the latter will move with the first slide, should this first slide be moved to the right, as seen in Fig. 1, and will thus carry the roll to the right. Should the first slide be moved to the left, the paper roll [6 will force the second slide 33 the same distance to the left. Thus the standards 26 and 34, and the roll supported thereby, move together and the roll is always firmly held between the standards so that feeding of the paper to the knives is facilitated.

It will be understood that the apertures 44 in the second slide 38 are so spaced as to allow for spacing of the standards 26 and 34 at a distance properly to support a roll of paper of the widths normally available commercially. Ordinarily rolls of wall paper are sold in 18, 20, 24 and 30 inch widths and the present machine is designed to handle rolls of those widths.

The feed rollers l4 may be of duplicate construction and like size and each has an elongated cylindrical body 52 preferably of wood. The upper roller is fixed upon an axially extending shaft 54, while the lower roller has a similar'shaft 56. The lower roller shaft 56 is rotatably supported in the opposite journal supports [2. Suitable antifriction bearings (not shown) may be provided for this shaft. On its left hand end the upper roller shaft 54 is supported in a suitable antifriction bearing (not shown) carried in the left hand standard l2. The right hand end of this shaft is secured for vertical floating movement relative to the right hand standard l2 by means best seen in Fig. 8.

As there indicated the upper end of the right hand standard [2 is hollow and has a vertically elongated aperture 55. The right hand end of the shaft 54 projects into this aperture 55 and a block 51, which has a semicircular bearing surface 59 that may be bushed is provided in the hollow right standard l2 to engage the upper side of the shaft 54. A stem 6| on this block 51 assists in guiding movement thereof and the block is yieldingly urged downwardly by a spring 63 between the block and the top end of the standard l2. By virtue of this construction the right hand end of the shaft is urged downwardly to press the upper feed roller firmly against the lower feed roller so that when the latter is rotated the upper roller will be frictionally driven from the lower roller.

The paper trimming knives 20 previously mentioned are secured adjacent opposite ends of the body 52 of the paper feed rollers as seen in Fig. 2. The should be spaced somewhat over 30 inches apart so that the machine may be used to trim paper up to 30 inches in width. Annular self-sharpening knives of conventional construction may be used. One form of knife of this type has opposed annular blades of resilient steel which are dished or flexed slightly. One of the blades in each pair is fixedly secured on the upper feed roller and the other on the lower feed roller. The flexed portions in the opposed blades of each pair extend toward each other, and the blades are mounted sufllciently close together so that the opposed cutting edges will be maintained in firm engagement. As a result, when the trimmin machine is operatsupp r s l 'metal and: assists in maintainingithe paper flat;

ing, the opposedcutting; edges rubbing together are automatically sharpened.

previously stated; themach-ine' is designed to" trim a-conventionallywouxid m1 *ofpaper on its right-hand knife (*FigxZ). Howeverpby'pro- "vicling a knife 20 on the left hand side of the machine," it is possible to trim either :end of a thus saved intrirnming reverselywourid rolls.

' In order to provide 'better'frictional engagement ibetween the'paper and; the feed; rollers I4 and prevent damage to the 'papery thef rollers are "preferably covered 'withga layer of ielt asj indijoated att inYFigJ2. Thepaper is guided from the untr immed roll I 5' togthe feed rollers l 4 over pronltfl extend n lon itudin ly 1 of the, ma-

chine'in front ofthefeedjrollers. .This apron toward the feed rollers as ,best seen in Fig. 1. It is supported adjacent opposite "ends hponangle standards't i i lxed atone end toflthe crosspieces i o and at the other end totheledge, otfthe journal The. apron "G may be of wood or and taut as it isfed so'that the'untrirhmededge of the paper is evenly trimmed.

Another feature of the invention isv the improved drive means which has, been provided for the feed rollers 14. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seenthat a'pulley I12iis fixed upfoh' the'left hand end of 'thelow'er feed roller shaftfjfi. This "pulley is connected by albelt 1,4 to a'suitable source of power (notjshownijfwhich may, for example, be an electricmotori located on the work table below the paper: cutting machine. If an electric motor 'is used, it is preferably. provided" 'with two switches ineluding aman'ua'lly operated master vswitch 16" for disconnecting' the machine from' the sourceofgcurrent. A second. switch (not i shown) under the gcontrol of". the master switch 1 6 ancl'closed by depressing conventional foot treadle (not'shownYmayI'be provided so that ancperator can readily c'ontrol energization 'ofthe motor and thereby control Iop'erationof "the trimmin machine. This foot'f treadle i may also be connected to operate a; brake on the motor shaft arranged to apply the'brakeiwhen the tread- -le is released sufiiciently' to operate ffthe motor switch. :Any of-the conventionally constructed. brakes available on the market may be used" for this purpose.

Although intended normally to be 'rdriven by motor as above explained, the improvedmachine oft-heypresent invention mayalsofibe' man- --ua-lly operated when that is desired orfwhen paper is to be started through the machine. For: this purpose an internal gear BB is, provided which 'is freely rotatable upon a stub shaft 6'! (Fig.

*8). The stubsha-ft'filisfixedlyjsecured tojthe -side -orthe-right-hand standard l2i'by' any suitable means and the gearf66""is"he1d on' the" stub sshaft by -a-washer" 69 l0ckedinfposition by a --screw '1 ithreaded-"into the-end of thestub shaft :61. -I=nternalgear 56 has teeth 68 which mesh \with theteeth on a pinion' 10-keyed to-the lower 6 operated or' manualiy-"-operatdi they-iower teed "roller unmet be 'rot'atd in' a blockwise direction to feedpaper through the machine imthe properdirectionto trim the same.

A further ieature of the invention is the improved means 'tvhi'ch has'--b'e'en1"provided-tor rewinding the paperas "-it'iistrimmed. "This ineans "inoiudes the rewind? roller or 1i shaft 22 {(Fies. 1 and 2) which is of polygonalcross-section-and substantially co ext'ensive in leng'th witlrfthe feed "rollers" l 4. This shait may be made from 'wood or from metal tubing-arid it" tapers from its lithand end toward its rightha-nd endgas seen {in Fig: *2, for a purpose Whibh fwli-ll be described. 'A-" circular 1' terminal 00" isfiormd on I the righthand jend of the shaft -andif the-shaft is made from wood; this terininml-couldbe capped-with a "metalsleeve to provide a bearing-gsurface.

The terminal is adapted @to 'beffreely received in a curved open;journal"slot- 82 in'-the upper. end of a standard u fixed" tofjthe upper endof the right hand journal support [2. This standard hasfiangesmfiiondts lower-end which are secured to the 'upper; end of the rightE-hand journalsupport lzby means" of studs 88 or the like. Rigid support is thus provided 'for" the right hand 'e'nd of g the rewind shaft in which it is rotatably' received, andfro'm which it may "be liftei'for a: purposewhich wfllibefde'scribd. Onfits 'leftehand end; the rewind shafflz-hasi an axially extending stub shaft LQOJseQUred'theretO. [This stub j shaft" 91! is' rotatably j supported fin a tiltable journal. block 1 3i. '1 {Figs} 4"azidii5) which forms 1 a e i ea 'r 'o th jnv t on- A ce t i w en t e iour nalvblobkl 9 is r i w t p os te yjp qie t ne l t liflanses 9 1. The lower side of 1th? 'I block including i the lower side of the Qflangesf -SA is jeonvexly cprved ind ca e at 6 a. 1) L'At it lu p'e an v th i'l -ih n iim na su po t l2 is:'.'co.nf0nned comele e t r o th we jen y ith i rn' iblol k 92'so that" it forms a seatj for receivingltheldwer end ofthis journal bloelrBl. Ajpairi of t 1ids"98 extending through transverse slots l 00 the t s s it i n naiblo ffl iarei h ead "into the upper'endof the' journals'uppdrt' 'l 2. TThe heads ofthese'stlljdsitre spaced; above the topside of 'thejfianges fld and a spring IDZJ-On'eaC IJ 0f the studsj' t8,'is'fc'ompressed"between the headthereof t o id ii t flan es 94. 'lTh sei p'rin s (thus tend rigidly to ihold'the .iournarbio kr 92 n upright pos t o 1 1 210. th leftrhand u n support. 12.

"Byvirtue Df this ,construfltiongthe rewind shaft t 22 and; journal block stmaygbefi tilted,' ;as indicated' in phantom in" Fig. 4, by a lifting force -applied to the right -hand end'of the rewindshaft. The trimmed roll of paper which has been;wound --onthe: rewind sha ft may= be removed from" the right hand side of this -=shaft at theconclusion or atrimming eporation' hy sliding the same-outvva1=dly. Since-the operator-normally stands at the right-hand side of: the machinein'using the same, it will be apparent that this -rewinding 65 lmeansImakes-themachine' muclrmore convenient ato use because the trimmed rbll canl be removed '-w-ithoutreachingaoross or -walk-ing around the ztmachine.

I-mproved meanshave -also -been provided for 0 -"operating i this 1 rewind shaft 22. -'-It*wil1 be apparent Lthat if the rewi-ndshatt -=-were rotated aat. constantaspeeds duringw 'trimm-ingioperation, iits capacity-toirewind-orthe4ate-atavhieh paper owouid zabe'xrewound thereon would progressively tin-ctease ias" theLs-ile'doflthe 1 611 en the rewind f7 shaft increased with rewinding. To accommodate for this, a slip drive I04 is provided on the stub shaft 90 (Fig. 4).

The slip drive includes a small pulley I06 freely rotatable on the shaft 80. Fixed upon the lower feed roller shaft 56 is a drive pulley I08 which drives pulley I06 by means of a crossed belt IIO. A driving connection between the pulley I06 and rewind stub shaft 90 is established by means of a pair of dished spring washers I I2 and I I4 on the stub shaft. Washer II2 (Fig. 4) is fixed upon the shaft 90 and rotates therewith while washer H4 is free to rotate relative to the shaft 90. Threaded on the outer end of the stub shaft 90 is a hand nut I I6 which may be turned in opposite directions to vary the force with which the pulley I06 is clamped between washers H2 and I I4 and in this manner control the torque which will be applied to the rewind shaft 22 when the drive pulley I06 is rotated.

This slip drive connection may be modified by substituting a plain washer for the washer H4 and placing a coil spring between the plain washer and hand nut H6. Operation of this modified slip drive is the same as that previously described.

In Fig. 7 a self-sharpening knife of modified construction is shown. This knife includes an outwardly dished annular blade H8 fixed to the end of the lower feed roller [4 and an oppositely dished blade I20 movable axially of the upper feed roller shaft 54. The upper blade has a cupshaped hub member I22 secured thereto to provide better bearing on the shaft 54. It is urged toward the lower blade IIB by a coil spring I24 reacting between the hub I22 and a cup-shaped stop I26 fixed on the shaft 54. A sleeve I28 may be provided on the hub I22 to hold the spring in position. By virtue of this construction the cutting edges of the blades are held in sufficiently firm engagement so that they are sharpened automatically when a trimming machine equipped with these knives is operated.

From the above description of the construction of the improved trimming machine, its operation and advantages will be apparent. If a roll of paper to be trimmed is conventionally wound, cutting of the edge to be trimmed is done on the right-hand knife (Fig. 2). To prepare the machine for trimming, the paper roll shaft 28 is inserted into the roll to be trimmed and the position of the third slide 42 is adjusted relative to the second slide 30. This is done by releasing the detent 46 so that the third slide 42 may be moved along the second slide 38. It is set at such a position that the opposite standards 26 and 34 are spaced from each other less than the width of the roll to be trimmed. Thus, the spring 40 will be tensioned when the roll I6 is placed in the standards 26 and 34. As a result, the standards apply an endwise pressure to the roll and it is firmly held so that the paper will be held taut and drawn off the untrimmed roll evenly by the feed rollers I4.

Since the printed side of wallpaper on a conventionally wound roll faces inwardly, the roll is placed in the standard in such a manner that the paper is drawn from the bottom or back side of the roll in the holder with the printed side facing upwardly. Initially it is drawn off by hand and fed over the apron 60 between the feed rollers I 4. The feed rollers I4 then may be manually operated by turning the internal gear 66 using the handle thereon until suflicient paper has been fed through the machine to start thefree end upon the rewind shaft 22. Starting of the paper on this rewind shaft 22 is quite simple because of its polygonal cross section. Once the paper has been started, the power may be turned on by depressing the foot treadle.

Since the untrimmed edge on a roll of paper is uneven and may vary in width between onehalf and two inches, the paper must be guided by hand through the feed rollers 14 if the untrimmed edge is to be trimmed evenly. After the machine has been started, the operator is free to concentrate his entire attention upon guiding the paper due to the fact that the machine operates automatically in all other respects. As the ,size of the roll on the rewind shaft 22 increases, the slip drive I04 slips to compensate for the added capacity of the roll to rewind paper.

After a roll has been completely trimmed, it may be removed from the rewind shaft 22 by lifting the right end of that shaft to tilt the shaft and journal block 92 upon the left journal support I2. The trimmed roll may then be slid ofl the right end of the rewind shaft in an endwise direction. This may be done readily because the shaft tapers toward its right-hand end.

When the left edge of a roll of paper is to be trimmed, the first slide 30 is released for movement to the left of the stop pin 32 by depressing the latter. Before a roll is inserted in the standards the third slide 42 is moved to its extreme left-hand position relative to the second slide 36. By adjusting the second slide to the left on the base 24 the untrimmed left edge of the roll of paper in the paper holder I8 can be brought into alignment with the left-hand cutting knife 20. Trimming 0f the roll may then proceed as described in trimming the right-hand edge of a roll.

While a machine for trimming wallpaper has been specifically described, it will be understood that the principles of the invention may be applied to machines for trimming other types of paper or other material in rolled form. It will be apparent that the roll holder is adapted to hold rolls of any kind of flexible fabric or paperlike material and that it may readily be adjusted to accommodate rolls of various sizes. When the shaft slots 36 in the roll supporting standards 26 and 34 are slanted as shown in Fig. 1, the material is preferably drawn from the bottom of the roll so that the roll shaft 28 is drawn toward the bottom of the slots 36.

The untrimmed roll holder of the present invention has advantages in addition to those mentioned above. As previously explained, untrimmed paper may be guided to the cutting knives by manipulating one of the roll supporting standards. If a conventionally wound roll is being trimmed, the right-hand standard will be manipulated, and when it is moved outwardly or away from the left-hand standard 34, the latter will move correspondingly because of the spring connection between the two. When the righthand standard is moved to the left, the roll supported by the standards will force the left-hand standard the same distance to the left. Thus the standards and the roll supported thereby move in unison. The same movement occurs when the first slide and right-hand standard are released from the stop 32 so that the left-hand end of a roll may be trimmed. In this case, the left standard 34 preferably is manipulated to guide the paper to the left-hand cutting knife 20.

Since conventionally wound wallpaper will be trimmed on the right-hand knife, this knife will most commonly beused. When it is, the internal gear: ands-pinion drive for.-the feed-"rollers. is an advantageous :construction ,because it prevents trimmings f'rom becoming entangled in 'the gearing.

In addition to providing compensation-,as -the.

sizeofthe'trimmed roll *on the rewind shaft increases: the slip-drive 184* also 'maintains tension on the paper so that the trimmed roll is tightly wound. Fu-r therm'orepthe" rewind shaft mounting increases the convenience of operation of the machine because a trimmed roll may be removed by ano'perator from the station he will normally take *in operating the machine. It is not necessa'ry for him to reachacross'oiffwalk around the machine.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. We, therefore, desire by the following claims, to include within the scope of the invention, all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of the invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

We claim:

1. An adjustable holder for roll paper and like material comprising an elongated fixed base, opposed members at least one of which is longitudinally movable of said base, a pair of roll supporting standards supported respectively upon said opposed members, yieldable means urging said opposed members to aposition of minimum spacing, a third member movable independently of said opposed members when the spacing between. standards is to be varied a distance corresponding to a variation desired in the spacing of said standards to render the yieldable means ineifective to bias said opposed members, said third member and said opposed members being coaxial, and releasable means to lock said independently movable member against independent movement and thereby render said yieldable means effective to bias said standards against separation.

2. An adjustable holder for roll paper and like material comprising an elongated fixed base member, relatively movable opposed slides on said base member, yieldable means urging said opposed slides toward a position of minimum spacing, opposed roll supporting standards, one of which is supported by one of said opposed slides, a third slide supporting the other of said standards for movement independently of said opposed slides to permit variation in the spacing of said standards while maintaining substantially constant the spacing of said opposed slides, said third slide and said opposed slides being mounted [or movement along the same axis, and means for locking said third slide against independent movement.

3. An adjustable holder for roll paper and like material comprising an elongated fixed base member, relatively movable opposed slides on said base member, yieldable means urging said opposed slides toward a position of minimum spacing, opposed roll supporting standards, one of which is supported by one of said opposed slides, a third slide supporting the other of said standards for movement independently of said opposed slides to permit variation in the spacing of said standards while maintaining substantially constant the spacing of said opposed slides, said third slide and-saidopposedslides being mounted for movement along-thesame axis, and releasable means, for locking said third slideagainst-inde pendent movement at positions =-to space i said standards 1 from each other distances approximately corresponding to various standard widths of rollpaperandthe like. 7 4. li -adjustable holder for roll 'paper'a-nd; like material. comprising 4 an :elongated "fixed "base member, relatively movable opposed slides on said base "member, yieldable means urgingpsaidopposed slides toward a position of minimum-spacins, opposed roll;supporting----standards, one -of which is supported by one of said "opposedslides, a third slide supporting theother of saidstand ards for movement independently of said opposed slides to permit variation in the spacing of said standards while maintaining substantially constant the spacing of said opposed slides, said third slide and said opposed slides being mounted for movement along the same axis, means for locking said third slide against independent movement, symmetrical outwardly open journal slots in said standards inclined in a direction 0D- posite to the direction in which material is drawn from the roll carried by said holder, and a shaft adapted to be extended through a roll of material and to project beyond opposite ends thereof, said projecting ends being adapted to be loosely received in said inclined slots. v

5. An adjustable holder for a roll of paper and like material comprising an elongated fixed base. a shaft for supporting a roll adapted to be projected into the same and to extend from opposite ends thereof, and means for moving a roll supported by said shaft longitudinally of said base including opposed slide members each having a part extending outwardly therefrom to engage respectively the opposite ends of the supported roll, means for adjusting the outwardly extending part on at least one of the slide members longitudinally thereof to vary the distance between said parts and adapt the same for receiving rolls of various widths, said third slide and said opposed slides being mounted for movement alon the same axis, and yieldable means for urging said slide members to a position at which an endwise pressure isapplied to said roll by the outwardly extending parts, said yieldable means being effective when either of said slides is moved away from the other to move the other and said supported roll correspondingly.

6. In a trimming machine, the combination comprising a holder for untrimmed roll paper and like material, said holder having an elongated base member, opposed first and second slide members movable longitudinally of said base, a third slide carried by and coaxial with said secand slide, roll supporting standards carried respectively by said first and third slides, said latter slide being movable longitudinally of the second slide to vary the spacing between said standards,

ieldable means urging said opposed slides and standards toward each other, releasable means for locking said third slide relative to the second at positions spacing the standards a distance somewhat less than the width of various standard sized rolls of paper so that the ends of a roll placed in said holder will be frictionally engaged by the standards, and means for limiting movement of said first slide relative to said base;

'7. In a trimming machine, the combination comprising a holder for rolls of paper and like material, said holder having an elongated base member, opposed first and second slide members 11' and-a third slide member, a pair of roll supporting standards carried respectively by said first and third slides, a spring connecting said first and second slides and biasing the same for movement to a position of minimum spacing, said second and third slides being relatively movable to space the said standards at various distances, means for releasably locking said second and third slides against relative movement including a leaf spring secured adjacent one end to said third slide, and a stop pin carried by the free end of said spring, said second slide having apertures adapted to receive said spring pressed pin to lock the slides against relative movement, the

apertures being spaced at positions to space the 15 12 standards when the stop pin is engaged therein less than the width of various standard size rolls of paper or the like so that the ends of a roll placed between said standards will be frictionally 6 engaged thereby.

BERNARD A. GUSTAFSON. JOHN HUGO WAHLBECK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 279,919 Cornely June 26, 1883 754,818 Schuster Mar. 15, 1904 2,337,790 Williams Dec. 28, 1943 

